You know, if the nutritionists would only say "if you're a diabetic TAKING INSULIN OR OTHER DIABETES DRUGS that cause your body to pump out extra insulin, you should not attempt to fast without medical guidance" then I wouldn't have an issue with their advice.
But it's like they don't understand that it is the DRUGS that cause hypoglycemia, not being diabetic.
Being diabetic makes your blood sugar go high, not low. Fasting brings blood sugar down so without exogenous insulin or drugs to stimulate the pancreas to produce MORE insulin, fasting would be just about the best thing a diabetic could do to bring blood sugar. Exercising would be the next best thing because exercise burns some of the excess sugar in the bloodstream therefore lowering the amount.
We have a good friend who was diagnosed with diabetes about 10 years ago and who, unfortunately, is on insulin. Recently he and his wife adopted a new dog and our friend is having to take the dog on walks and therefore is getting a lot more exercise than he is accustomed to.
He was complaining that the extra exercise is "causing" him to become hypoglycemic... so he is having to eat candy to combat the hypoglycemia and therefore he is gaining weight.
It never occurs to him that instead of eating candy to counteract the hypoglycemia caused by too much insulin, he could just slightly reduce the amount of insulin he takes so that he won't become hypoglycemic and therefore won't need the candy. Oh no. When I suggested he do that, he explained that his insulin dose is PRESCRIBED by his doctor so he CAN'T change that without his doctor's approval.
My question is, since exercising is apparently "causing" the same hypoglycemia problem that fasting would, shouldn't he, as a diabetic, have been warned to NEVER EVER EXERCISE?